Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a new and improved synthetic plastic concrete forming system. The present invention also concerns a new and improved synthetic plastic concrete wall tie for use in the concrete forming system. Still another part of the invention relates to a new and improved system and method for affixing wall coverings to a modular synthetic plastic concrete form structure.
Prior to the development of the new synthetic plastic wall ties herein disclosed, metal wall ties having cones at opposite ends have been known in the art. These types of ties were laid into the form and the concrete was then poured. After the concrete had hardened, the worker would then hammer the ends of the wall tie causing the wall tie to fracture. This type of metal wall tie is called a "snap tie", and when it is struck the cone shaped ends are fractured, and then they can be removed from the formed concrete wall. Thereafter, the concrete worker will then fill the conical holes to provide a smooth finished surface. The new ties herein disclosed are of a different construction and function in a different way in that they are provided with disc shaped members which are formed integrally with the tie. Ideally these synthetic plastic discs or stops could be made of a larger diameter. It has been the further practice of concrete wall makers to use wall ties having metallic washer-like elements which would be slid onto the ends of the wall tie. The wall tie has spaced stops so that when the metal washer elements are moved into place on the wall tie that they would then be bottomed against the stops at the inside edge of the washers. The concrete functions to hold the washers in place against the stops on the tie. The new and improved wall ties herein disclosed are provided with stops that are integral and immobile and positively fixed on the tie and being made from plastic will not corrode. Also, it should be noted that the metal ties and the metal washers that were used in the past, were inferior in construction since there was a definite tendency for these metal components to breakdown and corrode thus creating a potential water leakage problem at least in certain types of wall construction.
According to certain other features of my invention, my new and improved synthetic plastic concrete wall tie has a pair of round flange-like water-stops extending radially outwardly out of an intermediate wall tie section, the water-stops serving to inhibit water flow axially or along the length of the wall tie and through a concrete wall structure where the tie is embedded, the round flange-like water-stops further serving to provide means for locating reinforcing rods extending at right angles to the wall ties when the wall ties are mounted in a concrete form.
According to still other features of my invention, I have provided a new and improved synthetic plastic wall tie that has unique end formations which enable the wall tie to be easily attached with slotted form sections where the slots extend in rows along upper and lower edges of the form section.
Still other features of my invention are concerned with a new and improved synthetic plastic wall tie comprised of 20% calcium carbonate filled polypropylene of sufficient thickness to allow attachment screws to be threaded into opposite ends of the tie to anchor wall coverings to a poured concrete wall structure.
According to other important features of my invention, I have provided a new and improved synthetic plastic concrete wall tie which is totally modular in that it can be used and mounted in slots in wall sections synthetic plastic concrete forms from either edge of the tie.
According to still other important features of my invention, I have provided a new and improved synthetic plastic concrete wall tie having water-stops that can also act as reinforcing rod locating fingers which assist in providing one or more pockets for a concrete reinforcing rod to minimize movement of the reinforcing rod as concrete is poured into the form.
In the past, it will be appreciated that different types of foamed plastic concrete forming systems have been used in industry and, in this connection, attention is drawn to U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,552,0786 and 3,788,020. These patents relate generally to concrete forms formed from low density foamed plastic and polymeric material but where the forms do not possess the improvements herein described and illustrated.